Horizontally-rotatable wind-wheel.



W. F. PALMER.

HORIZONTALLY ROTATABLB WIND WHEEL.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 24. 1913. I 1,126,069. Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

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W. P. PALMER.

HORIZONTALLY BOTATABLB WIND WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24, 1913.

1,126,069, Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

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UNITED STATES PATEN T @FFIQFL WILLIAM F. PALMER, OF STERLING, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-SIXTH TO FRANCIS A. MENTGEN, ONE-SIXTH 'I'O WILLIAM P. MENTGEN, AND ONE-SLKTH TO EDWARD 1B. MENTG-EN, ALL OF STERLING, COLORADO.

HORIZON TALLY-ROTATABLE WIND-WHEEL Application filed September 24, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. PALMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sterling, in the county of Logan and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horizontally-Rotatable \Vind-lVheels, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to wind-mills and it more particularly relates to an improved form of horizontally rotatable wind-wheel construction.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a wind-wheel of this character with pivotally mounted paddles which are connected together in pairs, in such relation that one paddle of each pair moves into opertive relation or into wind-engaging relation, while the other paddle of each pair moves out of wind-engaging relation and into such relation with other of the paddles as to form a wind-shield.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wind-mill of this character with means designed to co-act with the action of the wind for closing the paddles into windshielding relation.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a wind-mill of this character which is so constructed as to eliminate the necessity for a multiplex system of gearing, such as employed in wind-mills of ordinary con struction, thereby reducing friction and expense of manufacture, and minimizing the liability of the wind-mill to get out of repair.

Another object is to provide a simple and effective means whereby the wind-mill may be easily thrown into and out of operative relation with the wind.

In the accompanying drawings which supplement this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view of a horizontally rotatable windwheel embodying the improvements of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical horizontal sectional View thereof with parts in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a detail view of a shifter member hereinafter specifically described; and Fig. 4 is a view of a special or modified form of wing.

In these drawings, in which similar reference characters correspond with similar parts throughout the several views, the

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 26, 1915. Serial No. 791,577.

wind-wheel which constitutes my invention may be mounted upon any suitable tower or base structure 10, a suitable socket 1116111" her 11 being secured on the tower. A vertical shaft or axle 12 is fixedly seated in the socket 11 and extends up through a collar 13 mounted at the top part of the frame or tower 10. A base plate 14: is supported on top of the tower and constitutes a support for a thrust bearing member 15, in which is journaled the lower end of a sleeve 0r hub 16, rotatably mounted around the shaft 12. This hub 16 is provided with a crown gear wheel 17, near its lower end, engaging with gear wheels 18, each carrying a crank pin 19, to which is connected at pitman rod 20, adapted to be operatively connected with a pump or machine (not shown), to be driven thereby. A series of inclined struts or sup porting rods 21 radiate from the wheel 17, and connect with a lower and inner rim or ring 22, this ring being connected with an upper inner ring 23, by means of vertical supporting rods 24.

A series of rods or spokes 25 radiate from the upper portion of the hub 16 and connect with the ring or rim 23, which co-acts with the hub for supporting the spokes. A series of hanger rods 26 depend from the outer ends of the spokes 25, while an upper outer rim or ring 27 is secured to the spokes 25 at the junctions thereof, with the respective rods 26. These hanger rods support a lower outer rim or ring 28, and brace rods 29 connect the inner and outer lower rings. Each vertical rod 26 constitutes a pivot on which is journaled a concavo-convex paddle or wing 30, each wing being formed prefer ably of sheet metal, and being of a curvature equal to that of the outer rings. In other words, each wing 80 constitutes a segment of a cylinder equal in diameter to that of the outer rings. In the present instance, I illustrate twelve 12) of these wings, but it is obvious that I may increase or decrease the number of wings without departing from the scope of the invention. Between the vertical center of each wing and its hinge or pivotal connection with the rings 27 and 28, I provide a lug 31 to which is pivotally connected a shifter member 32. This shifter member comprises a rectangu lar open frame 32 and a pair of shifter rods connected to the frame and extending in opposite directions therefrom, and connecting with the lugs 31, of each pair of wings 30. As previously mentioned, the wings of each pair are hinged at diametrically opposite points on the outer rings, so that the frame 32 of each pair of wings surrounds the hub or sleeve 16, and each frame 32' is of sufficient length to allow the wings to move unobstructedly into and out of opera tire position, while the internal width of the frame is preferably equal to the diameter of the sleeve 16. It will be seen, therefore, that the frames 32' are in superposed position, so that the rods 32 which extend horizontally therefrom, lie in different planes, and hence, the members 31 are located at different elevations on the several wings.

Supported on a sleeve or hearing member 33 (preferably a ball bearing member), is a beam 34 which constitutes a support for a guide rod 35, this guide rod having its opposite ends secured to the opposite end portions of the beam, and having its middle portion evenly curved into substantially semi-annular form, as indicated at 36, this somewhat annular element being disposed in a lower plane than the beam 34, While the vertical elements 37 connect this curved section with the substantially horizontal end sections 38. The beam 34: also constitutes an element of the vane, of which 39 constitutes the plane or wind-engaging element.

Supported by the beam 34: adjacent to the vane-wing or plane 39 is a deflector element to which may be formed by an extension of the guide rod 35, and this deflector has its free end curved outward, so as to provide a space between the wind-wheel and the deflector, which space converges in the direction of rotation of the wheel. Now, it will be seen, that as the wheel rotates, its pad dles or wings 30 successively move into contact with the deflector member 40, so as to swing them rearwardly and inwardly of the wheel, and it is obvious that this movement transmits motion to the other wing of each pair, at the opposite sides of the wheel, and adjacent to the indicator 41, which points to the windward when the machine is in operative position. Therefore, it is obvious that the elements 40 and 32 cooperate for folding one wing into closed position and simultaneously unfolding another wing into open or wind-engaging position. Therefore, it will be seen that the folded wings are held in folded position by the action of the wind and by the semi-circular guide rod 35, and when in this folded position, the free edge of each wing lies in contiguity with the pivoted edge of the successive wing, so that approximately one-half of the wheel constitutes a semi-cylindrical shield, while the other one-half constitutes a paddle-wheel segment.

Pivotally connected at 42 is a loop, with which a wire or other flexible element 43 is connected and extends into easy reach of an operator, who may swing the loop into such position as to be engaged by a hook at on the wind-wheel. It will be seen, that when the hook is thus engaged with the loop 42, the vane and supporting beam will be rotated on the bearing 33, into such position as to bring the cylindrical segment of the wheel into the face of the wind, thereby shielding the extended or open paddles or wings 30, so that the wind-mill now ceases to operate.

In lieu of the wings described in the foregoing, I may provide a special or modified form of wmg, such as illustrated in detail in Fig. i. It will be seen that this wing is formed with V-shaped corrugations, the walls 30 of which stand at right angles to each other, so as to provide pockets or grooves into which the wind is compressed, so as to obtain the greatest force and efiect from the wind. This modified form of wing 30 is adapted to be mounted and operated in the manner described for the wings 30.

It will be seen that I have provided a novel,

throughly practical and effective wind-mill of this character, which is fully capable of attaining the desired objects, as specified in the foregoing.

WVhile I have described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that various changes may be made in the proportion and arrangement of the parts with-- out departing from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed is 1. In a wind-mill, a wind-wheel mounted to rotate on a vertical axis, a series of curved wings pivotally mounted on the wheel, a plurality of open frames slidably and rotatably mounted on the axis within the radius of the wheel, oppositely extending arms projecting from each frame, the ex tremities of the arms of each frame being pivotally connected to diametrically opposed wings, whereby the same are connected in pairs, so that when one wing of each pair is in its wind-engaging position the other wing is in its wind-shielding position, and means for retaining substantially one-half of the number of wings in folded position.

i 2. In a wind-mill, a wind-wheel mounted to rotate on a vertical axis, wings pivotally mounted thereon and operatively connected in diametrically opposite pairs, a horizontal beam rotatably mounted above the wheel and comprising an element of a vane, a guide rod having its end portion secured to the beam and having its intermediate portion extended downwardly and curved around substantially one-half of the wheel rods supporting to retain substantially one-half of the Wings in their wind-shielding position while the other half of the wings are in their wind engaging position, and means carried by the beam for gradually closing each successive wind-engaging wing for moving the same between the body of the Wheel and the guide rod while the wing diametrically opposite the same is moved to its Wind-engaging position.

3. In a wind-mill, a wind-wheel comprising a rotatable hub, a pair of vertically spaced outer rings, horizontal rods connecting the outer rings with the hub, vertical the outer rings in their spaced relation, Wings pivotally mounted on the respective vertical rods, means for operatively connecting diametrically opposed Wings together, a horizontal beam rotatably mounted above the wheel and com prising an element of a vane, means carried by the beam and disposed adjacent the wheel and in the path of the wings for forcing a wing of each pair successively into folded position and thereby moving the other wing of each pair into Wind-engaging position, and means carried by the beam for engagement with one of the horizontal rods connecting the upper outer ring with the hub Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents for preventing relative rotation of the Wheel and the vane and turning the wind-wheel out of operative relation.

4. In a wind-mill, a wind-wheel having a series of wings pivotally mounted thereon and operatively connected in diametrically opposed pairs, a horizontal beam pivotally mounted above the wheel and comprising an element of a vane, a guide rod having its end portions secured to the beam and having its middle portion extended downward and curved around one side of the wheel, said beam supporting a deflector member in the path of the operatively disposed wings for pressing them out of operative position and into folded position between the body of the wheel and the guide rod, so as to retain substantially one-half of the number of wings in their wind-shielding position, while the other one-half of the number of wings are in their Wind-engaging position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM F. PALMER.

Witnesses: o

Gno. C. ALEXANDEE, J. CONRAD BRIEL.

Washington, D. C. 

